How Much?

In addition to how long a story should be, another issue that independent authors may struggle with is how much to charge for it. You see so much variation, from price leaders at $.99 to $10 or $15 novels because that’s what the big houses charge.

The question is complicated by formats. Sometimes people think we should charge less for e-books because there is no physical book. This ignores that the effort of writing a book is exactly the same, regardless of format. Especially in nonfiction, where the author has to do the very same research and documentation.

The big puzzle for me (maybe for all of us) is the customer’s perception of value. If you price at $15 for both e-books and printed books, readers may balk because you’re asking too much. If you sell everything at $1.99 or less, readers may assume the books are no good and you’re dumping them cheap. I guess everyone can see the value of a price leader, where you hope readers will purchase further books in a series at the regular price. All us indy writers are looking for the sweet spot, where we can make steady sales that are profitable for us.

For me, I focus on the worth of my product. All my novellas are $5. My paperbacks are around $12, because there is that printed object involved. To me, these are not exorbitant prices. I write a good book, and I charge a fair rate. Although, now that I have four books and a paperback compilation in my Minstrels of Skaythe series, I probably will do a $.99 sale at some point. I just haven’t fully explored the fine print on that.

Now I’m interested in hearing from all of you. What do you charge for your books, and how did you decide on that number?

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my web site, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.